What book(s) are you reading now?

[esmith]

Topgun on Wall Street by Jeffery Lay

 

[Caladan]

The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future

From Amazon:

A vivid forecast of our planet in the year 2050 by a rising star in geoscience, distilling cutting-edge research into four global forces: demographic trends, natural resource demand, climate change, and globalization.

The world's population is exploding, wild species are vanishing, our environment is degrading, and the costs of resources from oil to water are going nowhere but up. So what kind of world are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? Geoscientist and Guggenheim fellow Laurence Smith draws on the latest global modeling research to construct a sweeping thought experiment on what our world will be like in 2050. The result is both good news and bad: Eight nations of the Arctic Rim (including the United States) will become increasingly prosperous, powerful, and politically stable, while those closer to the equator will face water shortages, aging populations, and crowded megacities sapped by the rising costs of energy and coastal flooding.

The World in 2050 combines the lessons of geography and history with state-of-the-art model projections and analytical data-everything from climate dynamics and resource stocks to age distributions and economic growth projections. But Smith offers more than a compendium of statistics and studies- he spent fifteen months traveling the Arctic Rim, collecting stories and insights that resonate throughout the book. It is an approach much like Jared Diamond took in Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse, a work of geoscientific investigation rich in the appreciation of human diversity.

Packed with stunning photographs, original maps, and informative tables, this is the most authoritative, balanced, and compelling account available of the world of challenges and opportunities that we will leave for our children.

I'm third way through, and find it informative and engaging. Some parts are very enlightening, for example the range of energy sources, how widely they are used, how widely they may be used in the near future, their costs of production, the level of difficulties in producing them, etc.

 

[Nerthus]

A book on Mental Health and Religion.

 

[methylatedghosts]

Shaman's Crossing - Robin Hobb

Almost halfway through now.

Nevare Burvelle anticipates a golden future. He will follow his father into the army; to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage.

Over twenty years the army has pushed the frontiers of Gernia as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the enigmatic Speck people, who retain the last vestiges of magic in a progressive world. Exotic and misunderstood, they are believed to spread a sexual plague which has ravaged the frontier, decimating entire regiments.

Such beliefs will affect Nevare's military training at the Academy, where he will experience injustice and foul play. But his world view will also be challenged by his unconventional cousin, Epiny. And on Dark Evening, when the carnival comes to Old Thares, it will bring with it the first Specks Nevare has ever seen

So far (page 240/630), I'm not entirely sure that the blurb is accurate, but there's a good chance that's because of the personal bias I bring to the story and therefore I'm reading different things in it. I feel like it is, in a way, a cleverly disguised story of the U.S. and how it was taken over by the white fullas. I don't know... I'm really really enjoying the story though. A big Robin Hobb fan, I'm also waiting for book 3 of the Farseer trilogy.

 

[Draka]

The Island of Dr. Moreau

 

[ChristineES]

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
77 Shadow Street By Dean Koontz
Death of a Bore by M. C. Beaton

 

[Quagmire]

London, by Edward Rutherfurd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_(novel)

Big recommendation for anyone who likes historical fiction.

It spans 2000 years of British history; from the campaigns of Julius Caesar against the Celts, all the way to the London Blitz.

 

[methylatedghosts]

Forest Mage - Robin Hobb

Book 2 of the Soldier Son trilogy (Book 1 is Shaman's Crossing).

I'm enjoying it, but not as much as her other books, in particular the Farseer trilogy

 

[SageTree]

Cutting through Spiritual Materialism -Chogyam Trungpa

 

[jarofthoughts]

'The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language' by Steven Pinker.

 

[Apex]

The Dawkins Delusion?
And
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive)

 

[methylatedghosts]

So I finished Renegade's Mage by Robin Hobb today. This is the third in the Soldier Son series, and by far the best of the three books. The others took me a little over a week each to read, this one was done in less than 3 days. I found it difficult to put aside to do chores and things like sleep. I think because I was able to relate some ideas in this book to my own beliefs that I was fascinated enough to want to know more. To me it almost felt... inspired (don't want to say "divinely", because of the preconceptions in the word, but it's the closest I can estimate).

Anyhow. I found Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on the bookshelf, so I might see if I can get drawn into that one next. Else, I'm up for recommendations - I have a particular love for fantasy - Robin Hobb and George R. R. Martin being my main interests right now.

 

[Falvlun]

Eat, Pray, Love. Definitely hilarious, rather insightful, and sorta therapeutic actually. Though some of the spiritual stuff is irritating because I'm just not equipped to appreciate it.

 

[s2a]

Just (finally) got my hands on Vol 1 of the (actual) Mark Twain Autobiography a couple days ago... can't wait

*rubs palms together*

 

[InfidelRiot]

I just read the following books:

 

[methylatedghosts]

2 days, page 270

 

[InfidelRiot]

methylatedghosts, you will not be disappointed by the series.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Just got Michio Kaku's Physics of the Impossible.

 

[Caladan]

Just got Michio Kaku's Physics of the Impossible.

I was just thinking of getting his 'Physics of the Future' next week.

 

[jarofthoughts]

Just got Michio Kaku's Physics of the Impossible.

Loved that book.